Various cardboard sleeves for multipacks are known, but generally have apertures at the junction of the side and top panels for receiving the top edges of the articles. With certain articles, especially cans, the necessary aperture is located very close to the end edge of the sleeve and thus render the remaining strip of card vulnerable to tearing whenever the pack is handled. Tearing of course seriously affects the usefulness of the sleeve, but compactness of carton is essential not only from an aesthetic point of view but also from a business point of view. Clearly it is desirable to use as little cardboard as possible whilst retaining structural integrity and also bulkier cartons occupy more space and increase transport costs.